16 June 2025
Ref: DOIA-REQ-0014348
Charles Smith
Email: [FYI request #31005 email]
Tēnā koe Charles
Thank you for your email of 17 May 2025 to the Ministry of Business, Innovafion and Employment (MBIE)
requesfing, under the Official Informafion Act 1982 (the Act), the fol owing informafion:
1) A list of all contracts or engagements between MBIE and PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) from 1
january 2014 unfil 1 may 2025. Including:
- the purpose and scope of each engagement
- the total cost of each engagement
- the contract durafion or period
- the method of procurement (open tender, closed, direct tender, etc)
2) Copies of final reports, recommendafions, or substanfive deliverables produced by PwC under
these engagements, where not subject to commercial confidenfiality.
3) Any evaluafions, reviews, or post implementafion assessments conducted by MBIE on the
effecfiveness or outcomes of PwC work.
4) Total expenditure by MBIE on PwC consulfing services, broken down by financial period over the
period January 1 2014 - May 1 2025.
Quesfion 1 – lists of contracts
We note that MBIEs contracts with Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) are reported on as part of MBIE’s
regular reporfing cycle in the Annual Reports published on the parliamentary website. We are therefore
refusing your request under secfion 18(d) of the Act, as the informafion requested is publicly available.
Please find the links to the Annual Reviews below;
Annual Review2014/15
hftps://selectcommiftees.parliament.nz/view/SelectCommifteeReport/22855fd4-7e07-4d4b-8019-
15879bf5013f
Annual Review 2015/16
hftps://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/51SCCO_EVI_00DBSCH_ANR_71544_1_A541619/4363d32323aafdcc99777e84a5566d139bea6fcc
Annual Review 2016/17
hftps://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/52SCED_EVI_75460_904/86defb805619553df42566207c802d65efa8b320
Annual Review 2017/18
hftps://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/52SCED_EVI_82455_1941/4af68fff5b2a95298ff95fc21ca9b07c5d81ab01
Annual Review 2018/19
hftps://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/52SCED_EVI_92743_ED3005/cf2205d50e78890c788ce03e971716ae60170462
Annual Review 2019/20
hftps://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/53SCED_EVI_104246_ED330/c50d4c4d9b5db186a908a2ebaaf68942f70e33a4
Annual Review 2020/21
www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/53SCED_EVI_119680_ED8677/573aa78d1133b7e199cc955f8a98fdd63723512c
Annual Review 2021/22
www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/53SCED_EVI_127454_ED11316/8619ba8563641b0359c7638ecfa9347d13314434
Annual Review 2022/23
www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/54SCEDSI_EVI_efd95405-e2b2-4e75-83da-
08dbff6cce5c_EDSI400/919b5fbad94ae9c541fc5f2885d927e4c6fed6b1
Annual Review 2023/24
www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/54SCEDUW_EVI_34feb4d3-cf07-4839-f361-
08dd159361c2_EDUW2315/60f7b6ce883907b1a26ce5b7a43dda91a8a59b11
Quesfions 2 & 3 – copies of final reports and reviews
We are refusing this part of your request under secfion 18(f) of the Act as the informafion you have
requested necessitates a search through a large quanfity of informafion. We invite you to examine the
Annual Reviews the submit a subsequent request for the informafion on the contracts that are of
parficular interest.
Quesfion 4 – total expenditure on PWC
We are providing you with MBIE’s expenditure on PwC by financial years from 2016/17 to 2024/25.
We are refusing the total spend for the financial years 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 under secfion 18(f) of
the Act as the manner in which these historic records are held means that the informafion you have
requested cannot be made available without substanfial col afion and research.
The table below shows MBIEs spend with PwC for the financial years 2016/17 to 2024/25. Please note
that the total spend provided is for al services (not just consulfing).
Financial Year
Amount ($)
2016/17
1,578,727.58
2017/18
2,612,551.35
2018/19
2,014,103.68
2019/20
1,065,489.25
2020/21
1,711,029.06
2021/22
3,634,469.71
2022/23
1,968,512.76
2023/24
518,801.78
2024/25
338,064.13
It is important to note that the figures above wil differ from the relevant figures presented and published
in the MBIE’s response to quesfions for Annual Reviews. This is because Annual Review answers only
report on figures greater than $10,000, and MBIE’s engagement with those firms is wider than making use
of consultancy services.
The 2021/22 year saw a relafively higher contractor and consultant spend, largely due to MBIE’s work on
the COVID-19 response. This included work in the areas of:
resourcing nafional quaranfine facilifies,
creafing and maintaining digital capability of running MIQ facilifies and operafions,
general MIQ operafions including developing systems and processes to operafionalise, manage
and report on quaranfine services.
There was a drop in the 2022/23 year for fixed term and contractor and consultant spend, due to
decreased COVID-19 related expenditure.
The size and make up of MBIE’s workforce wil always reflect the balance of funcfions and services
required to deliver its core business and the government priorifies. However, MBIE wil use contractors
when it is necessary to do so, including covering periods of high demand, or when it is necessary to
engage consultants for specialist experfise or advice.
The 2023/24 financial year saw a realignment of our permanent and flexible workforce to align with the
changing government priorifies resulfing in a reducfion in our overal workforce spend.
MBIE remains focused on ensuring that the appropriate resources are available to meet obligafions and
deliverables and, when appropriate, will use contractors and consultants to ensure we maintain the
appropriate level of flexibility and agility in our workforce to confinue to deliver value for money for the
New Zealand taxpayer.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further assistance,
please contact
[email address].
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the MBIE
website: www.mbie.govt.nz/about/open-government-and-official-informafion/published-official-
informafion-act-requests [Remove if decision not to publish has been made]
You have the right to seek an invesfigafion and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Informafion
about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802
602.
Nāku noa, nā
Jason Tualima
Deputy Chief Financial Officer Strategic Finance
Finance and Performance
